Zeus
by Distinctly M.E
Summary: Thunderstorms can be scary things. . .unless one has a big brother to make it better. A prequel.


"A-dum! A-dum, wake up!"

I'm slowly pulled out of blissful slumber and the drums in my head gradually fade into the reality of rolling thunder and driving rain. I start to rise out of habit, but then remember with gratitude Pa's new rule forbidding me from riding herd at night. Sometimes the worst of incidents have the best of results. Assured that I can't possibly help anyway, I snuggle deeper into my blankets, seeing no reason to lose sleep over the matter.

"A-dum! Zeus is comin'! He's gonna git me!"

Oh yeah, that's why I'm awake. With a moan of protest, I roll over, just as a flash of lightning illuminates the room, making my two year-old brother's green eyes glow. "What is it?" I murmur sleepily.

"A-dum, Zeus is comin'," Joe repeats, his voice and lip trembling in unison. "Can I hide wif you?"

Before I can answer he's clambered onto the bed and is nestling in beside me.

"Fanks."

He still hasn't mastered the 'th' sound, but I resist the urge to correct him. Marie thinks it's cute, and I'm inclined to agree. Besides, he'll grow out of it. "Joe, I told you, those stories aren't real," I soothe the shivering bundle next to me. "They're just pretend, just. . ."

"M-m-myths, right?" Hoss' voice sounds from the doorway. Even at eight he's deathly afraid of loud noises, so I'm not too surprised to see him. "Hey, Adam, can I . . .?"

I smile to myself as sleep finally lets go of the last pieces of my mind. "Sure."

Hoss jumps into the bed, and we all yelp in unison. Joe and Hoss because of a particularly loud thunderbolt, I because my brother's feet are icy cold. Then the room is quiet for awhile except for the pelting rain, the boom of thunder, and the occasional startled cry. When Joe speaks, his voice is almost lost in the drone of rain.

"A-dum?"

"Yeah," I reply, glad to hear that Joe sounds calmer than before.

"Do Zeus eat peoples?"

I inwardly groan and swear never to read Greek myths aloud again. "Not that I know of."

"Oh. What do he eat?"

"Ambrosia and nectar." Joe doesn't say anything, and I hope maybe he'll think about that long enough to lull him to sleep. Hoss dashes my hopes.

"What's that stuff, Adam?"

"Um, I'm not sure how to explain it." He's always liked it when I'm honest with him. Maybe it'll work now?

"You mean you don't know?"

"No, it's not like that. It's just that I can't describe it to you." I rack my brain, trying not to tarnish my 'all-knowing big brother' image. I've got it. "It's like trying to describe apple pie to someone who's never tasted it. You know how it tastes, but it's too hard to put it into words."

"Who hasn't had apple pie?"

_Nice save, Adam_. "That's a good question, Hoss. You'll have to ask Mama in the morning." He seems satisfied, and for awhile we lie still and listen to the rain and the wind and the thunder.

"Hey, Adam?" Hoss finally asks quietly.

"What?"

"The thunder ain't as loud from your bed."

"Vat's 'cause Zeus is scared'a A-dum." Joe wiggles closer to me, if that's possible.

I chuckle softly, reminded yet again of how much I love Joe. "Yup. And he should be. You know what I'd do if he tried to get either of you?"

The sheets rustle as both of my brothers shake their heads.

"I'd _wrestle_ him to the ground and beat him up so fast that he wouldn't know what hit him! Then I'd throw him up _sooo_ high that he wouldn't come down 'til October!"

"Wow."

Joe's barely breathed admiration almost makes me feel guilty for the whopper I've just told. Almost.

"I thought you said that Zeus was so big couldn't nobody beat 'im?"

_Thank you for your support, dear Hoss._

"A-dum stronger dan Zeus, Hossie. A-dum stronger dan _anybody_!"

Joe throws his arms wide to demonstrate the awesome limitlessness of the anybody that I can beat and his chubby hand smacks against my right eye. I don't feel like complaining. If I'm invincible, it doesn't really matter, right?

"Thanks, Joe. But don't you think Pa is stronger than I am?" My conscience is starting to protest at instigating my brother's worship.

"Oh yeah. Pa, den A-dum." Joe's tone is emphatic, and it's almost as if he's saying 'I'm tired of your silly questions. You obviously aren't intelligent enough to understand, so just trust me.' Just the thought of such long words coming from such a tiny body makes me laugh. Hoss giggles too, and soon the entire bed is trembling with the side-splitting laughter that only comes when exhaustion finally washes over frazzled nerves.

When we at last reach the point where none of us can breathe, we listen to the rain again. After a minute I find that I'm counting silently between each flash of lightning and the answering rumble. The storm's moved pretty far away, and when I reach twenty before the thunder rolls, I hear Hoss sigh faintly. He must've been counting too.

The room's peaceful now, and I suppose my brothers have drifted off to sleep. I guess I should too, but my mind is busy, flitting around from thought to thought in honey-bee fashion. Joe's elbow is poking into my stomach, and I can just distinguish the silhouette of his fist protruding from his mouth and the soft sucking sounds he's making. Hoss is snoring softly, reaffirming my assumption that he's asleep. He's the only eight year-old I've ever known to snore, and I wonder how anyone will sleep once he grows to full size.

I feel the familiar haze filling my brain and I'm finally ready to submit to it, knowing that my family is safe and sound. I've closed my eyes and am almost out when I hear the door open gently and hear Pa's boots crossing the room. A chair scrapes the floor and then squeaks as my father sits. The bead groans as he leans on the mattress and then suddenly there's a sharp crack and all four of us land on the floor with a thud. I guess I forgot to tell Pa to fix the bed frame yesterday.

"Zeus!"

Finis


End file.
